The Queen of the Land of Dusk
by Maxwell Lily
Summary: The Kingdom of Baekje lies surrounded by a powerful spell and its salvation resides in the form of a Silla prince skilled in arts and armed with a flute. [The Sleeping Beauty Retelling]
1. The Queen of the Land of Dusk

The prince of Silla, armed with a sword he did not master and a flute he did, crossed the border to the forgotten kingdom of Baekje.

"It has to be you," his grandmother had said, her words falling heavy on his shoulders, making him bow. The Queen, the wisest, had no more sons to send, and amongst her grandchildren, she chose him. To this she explained, "We need your wit, Baek Ah. We trust you to figure out this spell that threatens our kingdom, and you must go before we forget where it all began."

"What if I lose myself before I break the spell, grandmother?" His hands, tender and soft and kind, trembled, concealed from her view.

"This is why it has to be you." She smiled as though it explained everything. It did not. Alone before Baekje, his loyal subjects long gone with his horse and confidence, prince Baek Ah took several breaths before he moved, crossing the field, onwards to the castle upon the hill.

He walked under the pale sun of autumn and he was tired by midday. Taking shelter under the branches of a beautiful, ancient tree, the prince thought about people who would do better than he in the task of saving his kingdom would. The captain of the royal guard could certainly kill witches if needed be. His older brother Moo had fought in war; he used to tell him stories when he was little, of deflecting a blow in the nick of time, of catching his enemies by surprise. Baek Ah sighed and took a bite of his bread, knowing it was futile to think of what if's now that he was already on the road. Looking into the distance, he tried to focus on different memories, of the captain teaching him how to fight, of his brother practicing. He ought to borrow their spirit and strength. Grandmother trusted his intelligence but what was intelligence good for in a fight? If he was overpowered, what was wit next to the tip of a blade on his throat?

Baek Ah shook his head. If at all possible, he wanted to avoid confrontation. He could come up with something. Yes. Maybe even local help.

When he got into town, Baek Ah realized that counting on local help would be a terrible mistake.

"How much for one night?" He asked the innkeeper, the only person he saw in the entire place. Children were gone, animals were gone. Houses were covered in dirt and time. The innkeeper looked at him for a long time before just handing him a key, no word spoken. Baek Ah took it carefully without touching the man's hand, nervous and suspicious of everything.

He peered inside rooms and found the man's wife standing before a pot, staring, as if she didn't know how to proceed with her stew. He took a step in her direction, the unfounded worry that she would fall forward into the boiling water consuming him, and then she moved, grabbing a bowl full of chopped vegetables and dropping them into the water. She was alive. The innkeeper was alive. They just moved like puppets whose puppeteer was dozing off, or perhaps even gone. Lying down on his bed, prince Baek Ah wondered if that was what awaited his kingdom.

Complete oblivion.

The Silla villages closest to Baekje had been receiving many refugees. If they could be called that. Entire families, broken families, children who didn't hold their parents' hands, birds off track, wandering, unscathed, into foreign territory. Walking slowly, sleepwalking. When taken in, they could do simple tasks with ease, tasks they had memorized through years of repetition, and nothing beyond that. They couldn't write. They had no name. Everything was forgotten.

And then a few Silla citizens started to forget, too. Slowly, at first. A slip of mind here and there. Until names were forgotten, and then everything was gone. Baek Ah was scared of his mission but he was terrified of waking up and being... blank. _It'll be okay_ , he told himself. _It doesn't happen that quickly. I'll find a solution before the spell catches up to me._

Closing his eyes, the young prince dreamed of comfort. Instead of a seemingly impossible, dangerous task, he dreamed of his mother teaching him how to paint, how to play the flute, dreamed of her fluid dancing. When he woke up, he was still himself, and his mother was a breath of motivation, coming at him in lieu of a breeze through the open window. Walking down the stairs, he noticed the innkeeper and his wife were gone. There was still food in the kitchen. He clasped his hands together and thanked his hosts for their hospitality, eating in silence. With a filled stomach, Baek Ah moved forward. The forest leading to the castle was still far ahead.

* * *

Baek Ah felt as if time stood still. Without a sound, humans or animals, the woods seemed frozen in time. Baek Ah recalled his classes and how he had learned that the capital city of Baekje was constantly hit by rain, but the ground under his feet was completely dry, and the foliage strangely... alive. Flowers were vibrant in their branches, completely off their season. If he tried playing his instrument, would the sound come out, reverberate through the silence, or would it die before it even began? It was a crazy thought, but he felt his skin itching, every fiber of his body hypersensitive to the feeling of Baekje.

It was so quiet and for so long that Baek Ah could quickly pick up the sounds that indicated he was no longer alone. Had it been anywhere else — the less dense woods of Silla, home to several different birds who orchestrated all year long — it would have taken him longer to notice. Feet crushing leaves. The whispers. It was easy in the silence. Easier for a musician.

A little to the left and...

Baek Ah unsheathed his sword and not a second later the man stood up from his hiding spot. Clad in all black to merge with the shadows, equally black hair falling down his back, eyes narrowed and menacing, marked by a scar on the left side of his face. Baek Ah held his sword with will, much more will than courage, knowing that he could die if he faltered.

"I told you we'd be discovered if we came too close," whispered a voice to the side, behind the trunk of a tree. Baek Ah wanted to avert his eyes in that direction but he couldn't dare.

"Not now," the man said between his teeth, and then spoke to the prince. "Who are you? And what are you doing here?"

"I'm the second prince of the Kingdom of Silla, Kim Baek Ah. Who are _you_?"

The man scoffed, and Baek Ah could make out a wide-eyed face looking at him from behind the tree out the corner of his eye.

"A prince of Silla? In Baekje? Whatever are you looking for, Your Highness? Fame? Glory? A good story to tell your children, about how their father braved the haunted woods of Baekje in order to save the day?"

Baek Ah could feel the anger coloring his face at the man's smirk.

"You know nothing of me! How dare you speak high and mighty if we find ourselves in the same spot? What better mission sent you here?"

"Why, I live in these woods," said the man, who pointed the sword at Baek Ah with one hand while Baek Ah tried to control his steadiness with two. "And if you value your life, I would give up every pretense of reaching the castle before you get yourself killed."

"Is that a threat?"

"I'd call it a prophecy."

"Now, that's enough of it."

The mysterious third party stepped out from their hiding spot, dusting off her dress and stepping between the two men and their swords like it was nothing.

"Soo, step away from him," the man said, eyeing the girl for a brief second before locking eyes with Baek Ah again.

"He seemed perfectly harmless before you started insulting him," the girl named Soo said, crossing her arms. The man took a couple of steps forward, standing beside her.

"You say that about every trespasser," the man said in a lower voice, and the girl named Soo rolled her eyes.

"No, I don't. Some of them deserved the wolf dog treatment. But look at him, he doesn't carry an ounce of pretense on him."

"And how do you know that?"

"I can _feel_ it."

"You two know I can hear you, right?" Baek Ah raised an eyebrow, tension evaporating with every word traded between the two strangers who seemed too used to talking to one another in private and might have just forgotten they were no longer alone, even if the man never looked away from him.

"Ah, sorry! Why don't we just..." She placed her hands on the man's arm, making him lower the sword. He glowered at her and received a glare in return. With a sigh, he allowed the sword to drop to the side. The girl smiled widely, victorious. When such a smile was directed at him, Baek Ah felt he was being intimidated and dropped his sword as well. "Now, that's better. Sorry about that. I'm Soo and this is So. We live in these woods and we protect the castle from ill-meaning trespassers."

"You...? How? And why?"

Soo opened her mouth but closed it without speaking, offering a sheepish smile instead. Baek Ah looked between the two with a frown.

"We owe you no explanations, since you're the intruder. Now tell us what your purpose here is," said the man called So, his sword still unsheathed. Soo looked at him when he spoke but didn't interfere, just looked back at Baek Ah, waiting for his response.

"The Queen of Silla sent me to discover the origin of the spell befalling Baekje, since it's spreading into the neighboring kingdoms."

So laughed a guttural laugh, shoulders shaking with amusement.

"Where was Silla when Baekje fell? Where was Silla when our people started to lose themselves? You care _now_ that it's convenient for you?"

Soo touched his arm and So clenched his jaw. Baek Ah looked down, unable to find the answers the man sought, and only heard the sound of him sheathing his sword.

"The forest will take care of you, Prince Kim Baek Ah. May you find yourself in its graces so that you may find your way home still in one piece."

So turned his back to him and walked away, Soo in tow. To Baek Ah he might have looked like the very king of Baekje, never once losing the force in his words or his presence. Alone, Baek Ah fell to the ground and pondered on the man's questions. He had always held his grandmother in high esteem so why, exactly, hadn't she offered a hand to Baekje when it needed the most? Why wait for the collateral damage? Baek Ah was always blissfully unaware of politics, so what was he missing? Could the source of the spell trace to a foreign threat? After the fall of Goguryeo Kingdom when Baek Ah was just a little boy, Silla and Baekje became the most flourishing kingdoms on that side of the continent, so could it be...

Baek Ah shook his head and stood up. He knew the nature of his grandmother's heart, the puzzle was missing pieces and he wouldn't allow himself be carried away by a stranger's suspicions. He sheathed his sword and continued his way towards the castle, carrying a heavier weight than that of his resolve.

* * *

Baek Ah had a hard time making fire and after what seemed like hours, the danger of freezing to death seemed real and near. He pondered if it was better to travel during the night and sleep during the day but could he travel without seeing where he was going? His grandmother ought to have prepared him better, taught him a fire spell or something...

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

Soo appeared and lit up the small pile of forest wood he had gathered with ease. Baek Ah's eyes were wide with wonder but Soo showed him a small and blackened piece of wood.

"It's just a match. Surely they have those in Silla?"

Her smile was devilish and Baek Ah sputtered.

"I never had to use them before! It just... slipped my mind..."

Soo giggled and sat down beside him, holding her hands close to the fire. Baek Ah looked at her and then around him, sure that if she was there, So should be near. He was wondering if it was a trick and he was about to be attacked when Soo spoke.

"Don't mind So too much. We've been here for a long, long time, and the only people who came by left without trying much of anything. Soldiers, nobles, scholars... It was like they studied the woods. Sometimes So and I worried that they would just destroy everything, burn it all down. And then Baekje would truly be a forgotten kingdom..."

Baek Ah could hear him behind them, watching in the dark. If he was making himself known, why not join the conversation? So was ridiculous.

"How is it that you two remember?"

Soo let out a small laugh and looked briefly over her shoulder.

"We don't."

"Our memory traces back one year and nothing beyond that," said So, stepping into the light of the fire and sitting down beside Soo.

"Now, that wasn't so hard, was it?" She poked So with her foot and he seemed to mouth an impolite response.

"But how do you two remain like, ah... I've heard the Baekje residents can't speak. The people I've met didn't look me in the eye, yet you two know your names. Are they your names?"

"There's a note," Soo said, looking at the fire. "It was there the first time we woke up and we read it every day. It has our names on it. 'You're Soo and he's So.' And it says—"

"It gave us a purpose," So cut in. "It must keep us going. We don't know much more about the spell than you do."

"So... Why are you here? I thought you wanted me dead."

So looked at Soo and raised his eyebrows. The girl waved at him dismissively.

"So thought you were going to leave then but you kept going, so we kept on watching you, too. I thought there were worse ways to die than freezing to death by sheer incompetence."

"I feel thankful and insulted at the same time."

"She has that effect on people," So mused and Baek Ah knew more than he saw that she was glaring at him. "Now that the prince is warm and cozy, can we go?"

Soo sighed and stood up, the man in black mirroring her.

"I hope we meet again on the road to the castle, Your Highness." Soo bowed and Baek Ah smiled, holding onto the sincerity of her words. So didn't trust him and he couldn't blame him for it. From Soo's story, they spent most of their time afraid that their home would be destroyed. Was Baekje their home? Did they even remember that? There was an ingrained sadness in Baekje, in the air, in the stillness. Or maybe the prince was projecting. Lying down close to the fire, he missed the smell of Silla, the mornings and the love. His grandmother used to say he was their joy. He wanted to help. He wanted to be something real there, in suspended time.

* * *

It got harder when the road grew steeper. Baek Ah was versed in the arts, he had experienced nothing of the sort, of long climbs and long walks. The air got heavier the closest he got to the forest surrounding the castle, be it a natural phenomenon or magic didn't matter to him, he was tired and thirsty and dirty and still as lost as he was when he first got to Baekje. So and Soo hadn't manifested themselves to him but somehow he thought they were near, studying him, whispering their coded, shared language. Baek Ah missed his family and in missing them, he felt like the baby they said he was, when he wasn't looking. He could do it, he could complete the mission and make his grandmother proud and then he... then he...

Then what?

He sat down unceremoniously and ate a small portion of his provisions in unfocused bites. After he was done, he took out his flute for the first time in Baekje and he played. A solemn song, befitting the atmosphere outside and the questions inside. Baek Ah played to the best of his abilities, just as he always did, never missing a note, never going off tune. He played the way that made his grandmother proud, he played because it was what he did best. It was what he did. Without the flute, what did he have? Had his grandmother sent him there because all the other important people were otherwise busy? Because if he never returned, the kingdom could work as it always did?

The song was bittersweet as he thought of love. He knew he was loved. The children of Silla, in their untainted honesty, surrounded him when he played, even when he had nothing to give them but himself. He would be missed if he were gone. Grandmother would weep. Brother Moo would mourn. The colors he pestered everyone to wear, to shine, to flaunt, would turn to white.

He was being self-absorbed, dramatic, between highs and lows.

What was the question?

What was the end?

Finishing his song, Baek Ah gathered his things and resumed his walk. Wondering wouldn't get the castle closer, wouldn't make the path straighter, wouldn't provide him with water. The song cleared his mind, filled the silence with purpose, brought him back to himself. He had to keep going forward. He had to help the people of Baekje and the people of Silla regardless of his own personal struggles. He could figure it all out eventually, he was sure of it, what his grandmother had been doing in the year Baekje was falling down, why she sent him, what she planned to do after the spell was lifted, everything could be—

Baek Ah slipped. Rolled towards the edges of the path, where trees grew close together in shadows, where he could hit his head and lose consciousness or worse. He tried to hold onto something, anything, a tree root, but his hands could grasp nothing, he closed his eyes and hoped the worst he would have to do was find his way back, backtrack, hoped the woods would provide with food and water, hoped the woods were merciful.

He didn't see So until he was firmly holding his wrist, as if the forest had conjured him out of the cries of Baek Ah's fevered mind. The man held him and pulled him as Baek Ah found his footing, Soo helping however she could, pulling him by his sleeves. Once he was safe back on the path, he could feel the sweat trailing down his face and back despite the mild temperature. He didn't remember ever feeling so afraid in his life.

"Are you okay? Are you hurt anywhere?" Soo questioned, looking him over, top to bottom.

"I'm... I think I'm okay, yeah. Just a little spooked." He let out a nervous laughter. The pair was not amused.

"You could have broken your neck," So said, the flat tone of one who speaks of the weather.

"I'm fully aware, thank you. I assure you I have no intention of breaking my neck, now or in the near future." He meant to point his finger in indignant reprimand but he quickly withdrew his arm, a sharp pain immobilizing his shoulder, the very arm So used to save his life. Soo's brows furrowed.

"You should rest at our place tonight."

So's hair flipped around when he turned to stare at her.

"He should _not_."

"He's _injured_ , So."

"Only mildly bruised, it'll be healed by morning."

"If he sleeps on the ground, he'll have no strength to carry on. It's unfair, he's been doing okay so far."

"He slipped on absolutely nothing, maybe the forest wants him gone."

"Maybe you should stop thinking the forest wants what you want."

"What makes you think _you_ know what _I_ want?"

Soo pursed her lips, growing red by the second. Baek Ah raised his good arm, waving timidly.

"I'm still here and I can hear both of you."

Soo turned to him, clasping her hands together happily, ignoring So's glare.

"Come with me!"

So made no comment or attempt to stop them. Soo led him off the path but on firm ground, uphill, holding her skirts up to avoid bushes and twigs, marching with a confidence Baek Ah didn't have. They walked until the sun set, until Baek Ah found himself before a modest house. Out there, hidden in the middle of the woods, he wondered if it was once used by royal guards staying on the lookout for intruders. Truly, he saw nothing that indicated its inhabitants, old or new, were of high status. There was a vase full of beautiful flowers that never died. There was no carpet or cloth of value, no books or scrolls, but it was shelter and it was cozy and it smelled of the best of the forest.

"It's not much but we've got food and beds inside. Besides, it's much warmer," Soo announced, beaming up at him. Baek Ah glanced at So behind them but the man still said nothing, just waited until they both entered, glancing around like a bodyguard. Soo sat Baek Ah by a table and left to prepare their dinner. The sound of So's boots made Baek Ah rub his injured arm.

"Look, thank you for saving me, you owe me nothing. I can leave if you want."

"Soo would kick me out if you did." So picked an apple from a nearby basket, sitting down at the head of the table and propping his feet up on a chair. "And I'd rather not look after you in the dark."

Baek Ah looked at the man, wondering if, were he in his position, he'd be just as suspicious of him. Of everyone.

"Why did you save me?"

So wouldn't look at him. Listening to the sounds of Soo in the kitchen and watching the man eat his apple, Baek Ah was sure he was getting no answer.

"We heard your song."

"My song?"

So nodded, looking at him out the corner of his eyes.

"Is it a traditional song in Silla?"

Baek Ah scratched his nose, absentmindedly.

"I wouldn't say traditional. I composed it during the last war, ten years ago. I missed my brother and it made me feel closer to him."

So looked at him, eyebrows raised.

"You composed it yourself? Out of nothing?"

Baek Ah chuckled, no malice in his breath.

"Yes, that's how it goes. Do you want to hear it again?" He reached for his flute, expecting to be told off or scolded but So waited. He seemed to ponder.

"Do you know any song from Baekje?"

Baek Ah didn't have to think much, his memory for songs vast and vivid. He touched the flute to his lips and played, although his shoulder still hurt, he played for the man and his companion. His grandmother used to tell him that whenever she thought of Baekje she remembered it at dusk; the sky in mysterious shades of orange and lavender, the loud music coming from the hands of its people, the dances, the celebrations. She told him their New Year's rituals were the most beautiful in the continent, and that the Baekje queen was the most gracious woman to ever live. Her stories had her heart in them, her admiration for different cultures, her respect. It was her heart that he played, the image of Baekje that he had when he was a little boy, an orange kingdom full of laughter. He played until he winced, his shoulder still bruised.

Soo clapped, he hadn't noticed her coming in. So wasn't as moved, at least it wasn't happiness or admiration that he felt. He had a distant look in his eyes, like he was expecting something to happen. A memory, maybe. A spark of familiarity. Baek Ah's smile disappeared. Soo announced dinner would be ready soon and returned to the kitchen.

"Have you ever been to the castle?"

So awoke from his trance. Baek Ah almost welcomed his unfriendly stare, already used to it, much more than the feeling of helplessness that sneaked up in his heart when he thought about how So and Soo were healthy and functional but still just as lost as the others.

"No."

"So you don't know what's up there? Or if there's anything we can do?"

He shook his head.

"It's not impossible to reach the castle, is it?" He could feel the acid inundating his stomach. His grandmother had warned him of perils, not impossibilities.

"No. Once you get the closest to the castle, there's a thick rosewall. Its thorns and stems are strong, but not unbreakable."

"So why haven't you tried anything?" Baek Ah sounded more exasperated by the second. The man had talked of the will of the forest, but he, himself, had never tried to subjugate it. When So looked at him, straight in the eye, it wasn't disdain or anger that Baek Ah saw; it was worry.

"We don't know what's up there, or _who._ If I took Soo with me, I could endanger her, endanger us both. If I went by myself and something happened to me, she'd be all alone in this forest. Or I could succeed only to discover the forest took her life. I couldn't accept any of these scenarios. So we keep watch."

 _What makes you think you know what I want?,_ So had asked his companion. Baek Ah wondered what kind of bond could unite two people in nothingness. If Soo knew how much So thought about saving Baekje, how much he wanted to, from the way he looked away, from the way he clenched his fists, but he wouldn't risk her safety. Baek Ah admired So a little.

"But why stay here? If you can't remember what Baekje meant to you, why not leave?"

So touched the air with his fingers, almost like he was playing an instrument, almost like counting his words.

"The note."

"The one with your names on it?"

He nodded.

"Does it give you some kind of mission?"

"No, it's simpler than that. An oath."

"An oath?"

"To Baekje. To the queen."

"I don't understand."

So gave him a lopsided smile.

"It means we stay even after everybody's gone, that we see it to the end. It's what Soo and I have decided to do with this second chance we were given."

"So, if I were to get to the castle, would you help me?"

So chuckled.

"If you get there, you'll have gone farther than any other person we've seen. You might just be the one, Kim Baek Ah."

Baek Ah wasn't sure to feel proud or scared out of his wits.

"Am I?"

"Like I said, we heard your song."

Baek Ah thought that they heard something else that he didn't know. His will, perhaps. His bravado. Silla's courage.

"Just promise me you'll keep Soo safe if I can't."

"I can do my best."

"You're going to have to do better than your best."

"I won't let her get hurt, So. I promise."

"Then we'll follow you."

Soo's smile was radiant when she emerged.

"Dinner's ready!"

* * *

"Get up before we throw you down the hill, Your Highness."

The comfort of a bed after days of traveling was worth the weight of his own traveling bag being thrown against his chest in a rude awakening. With eyes still captured in sleep, Baek Ah saw So's smirk, the friendliest he had ever been and, somehow, the rudest yet. Baek Ah yawned and lied down for a second or five, happy to be in company again and that he didn't have to face whatever was coming at him alone.

After washing up — all the while hearing indirect taunting about silk sheets in the distance — he found his traveling companions equipped with provisions and disposition already out the door. Before he stepped out, however, Baek Ah couldn't miss the small note on the table. In what he knew was Soo's handwriting, he read,

 _You're Soo and he's So.  
Trust your instincts, keep the Queen safe.  
The sorcerer is_

He didn't know if the note was placed there on purpose, not after how evasive So had been about it. Had Soo put it there? What had changed overnight? _Trust your instincts_ , it said. An oath, So had said. To Baek Ah it was riddle. What it meant for them, what it meant at all. Perhaps they needed his help as much as he needed theirs. Closure. An end to the note.

 _Keep the Queen safe._

The day seemed shorter with them, the road less tiring. They had Soo's tea and food and her questions; what Silla was like, what life at the palace was like. Of So, Baek Ah had glances and feigned indifference and Soo's elbows on his ribs when he was prone to snark. They couldn't remember any historical event — the rise and fall of empires — or dances or songs. They couldn't remember their childhood, their friendships, the castle, the queen. Baek Ah told them he remembered she had been really young and really beautiful. His grandmother told him she was like _a living painting, with all the right strokes_. There were stars in Soo's eyes and a dark night in So's, her admiration and speculation bouncing on him and making him smile amidst his worries. So's silence and caution made Baek Ah nervous but he felt So wouldn't enter the castle carelessly. Maybe he had a plan; maybe he had always had a plan. The note had been a sign of trust, and Baek Ah decided to trust back.

When they reached the gates, Baek Ah realized So was no liar. A vast, wild rosegarden permeated the entire space up until entrance stairs, stems reaching up the castle walls like veins. Before they could even enter the garden there was a wall Baek Ah did not dare touch, thorns just waiting for blood.

"What do you propose?" So asked him, distractedly pulling Soo back from staring too closely at the roses.

"Can our swords cut a path?"

"They can, but by the time we reached the castle, they'd be blunt and useless, and it'd be unwise to rely on the castle's armory."

Baek Ah crossed his arms and touched his lips. They were sturdy but they were plants, so...

"What about fire?"

With her hands clasped behind her back, Soo said, "We'd risk burning down the entire forest."

Baek Ah bit his bottom lip.

"What about... the sword _and_ the fire?"

The pair shared a glance and then stared at him. The prince instructed them to gather wood for a fire and by the time they were finished, the sun was already setting, orange streaks against a dark blue. Soo lit her match and Baek Ah waited until it was bright and vivid, and then he touched his sword to the flames. He left it there, turning the blade, and then slashed through the rosewall. As the petals fell to the floor, Baek Ah looked at the blade and realized it had barely been scratched.

"Not bad," said So, smirking. "Think you can reach the entrance before the blade cools down?"

"I think it's worth a shot."

So unsheathed his sword and let the flames do their job, Baek Ah by his side. With one last glance at each other, the two sprinted towards the castle, slashing as fast as they could, Soo following behind So, his hand grasping hers, keeping up the pace. Looking behind him, Baek Ah could see the stems were crawling back through the path they came in.

"Don't stop!" Baek Ah yelled, and they didn't, not on short breath or sore legs, not until they climbed the entrance steps. Soo let herself fall down and rubbed her legs while So wiped the sweat off his brow. Baek Ah strained his neck to take in as many details as he could. The red of the pillars, the red of the roses, and the coldness of stone.

The Palace of Baekje seemed like a dormant beast.

* * *

There was no one in the palace. No one in the dirty courtyard, no one in the halls, in the kitchens, at the corners. The trio's steps echoed when they walked. Baek Ah noticed his companions took everything in slowly and he didn't have the courage to ask if they remembered anything. He felt they didn't, and that was the worst part. Soo wiped the dust off ornate objects, off tapestry, coughing, admiring. So looked at the paintings on the walls for many minutes, as if they could tell him a story, who he was. Baek Ah could see how magnificent the palace would be if it were alive, but then, it was just faded, like a painting that stayed in the sun for too long. He decided to climb its stairs, knowing the Queen would be in the highest tower. Or should be, whatever traces were left of her.

Baek Ah marched on, not checking if So and Soo were following him. He made his way through darkened corridors, careful step after careful step, until he stood before tall, ornate doors. In Silla, it would have been his grandmother's chambers. There was an acidic feeling of unease in his stomach. Taking a deep breath, Baek Ah pushed the doors open, with a sound loud enough to wake the dead.

The woman lying on the bed stood still.

Prince Baek Ah approached the bed and, parting the delicate veil surrounding it, glanced upon the face of the Queen of Baekje. At first he feared she was dead — for how long? In such condition? — but soon he noticed the rise and fall of her chest, and knew she was asleep. Her lips were still red and her cheeks pink, almost as if she would wake up any moment and walk to the throne room, speak to her court. Sitting by her side, Baek Ah touched her bangs, taking them off her closed eyelids. His grandmother had been right, the Queen of Baekje was beautiful. What was it? Her name...

"Woo Hee. Queen Woo Hee."

Baek Ah never noticed the steps coming behind him until the blade was resting against his neck.

"Step away from the queen."

Slowly he looked up to see a man clad in blue robes, face emotionless. As soon as he locked eyes with him, So and Soo stormed inside.

"Baek Ah!"

The man in blue peered at the two out the corner of his eyes and startled.

"So? Soo?"

The three travelers looked at him with widened eyes. Baek Ah dared not move, even without the man's attention on him.

"You know us?" So asked, standing in front of Soo, hand hovering over the hilt of his sword.

"It's me, Wook." He lowered his weapon and approached the two by the door, So watching him through narrowed eyes. "Hwangbo Wook. We work in the palace together, we guard the Queen. Don't you remember?"

"No," So said. "We don't. No one does. Why do you? Why are you here?"

"I'm wondering the same. I thought you two left with everyone else. And," Wook looked at Baek Ah, "Just who is this?"

"Please," Baek Ah stood up, looking at the only man with the answers they sought. "Tell us what happened."

* * *

"I don't know the details myself, I've forgotten everything I haven't written down. I know Queen Woo Hee fell asleep on the day of the exorcism ritual, a year ago, and that everyone else started forgetting on that very same day. Once they forgot their home, they left. I hid myself in another tower, hoping the spell wouldn't reach me there, but every day I forgot something else, so I started to write a journal. I meant to leave the kingdom and seek help but I couldn't leave the queen alone, there is no one else in the royal family but her. I feared something terrible might happen if I left her, so I stayed here, kept watch."

The man called Wook looked at So and Soo with a kind smile, the fire of the candles lightening up his eyes. Around them were the fragile bowls of the palace, already empty after their supper. The castle could still provide, even near death.

"I don't remember much about you two, but I wrote your names in my journal and I knew it was you the moment I saw you. Now that you're here, I feel everything will work out."

Soo clasped her hands together; Baek Ah had never seen her smile so brightly.

"We kept a note too! That's why we didn't forget or leave. I think we were always supposed to come back here, right, So?"

So didn't respond. He just asked, "Do you have any idea how to break the spell?"

Wook shook his head.

"She won't wake up no matter how much you stir her, how much you call her name, if she sun kisses her or the moon. I've positioned her by the tower window every season and still she wouldn't wake. I've even tried to prickle her finger with a pin and it didn't work."

"Was there nothing in the library?" So asked.

"Nothing we could use."

"Maybe she can be awakened by a true love's kiss."

All heads turned towards Soo. She had the grace to flush.

"I don't remember romance novels being in the forest shelter," So commented with amusement. Soo pouted while Wook and Baek Ah tried to suppress their chuckles.

"It seemed like the sort of honest, magical thing that could work," she said in a small voice. So patted her head and she pushed him away angrily.

"She might not be entirely wrong," Wook said. "I've heard magic lies in the honesty of the wielder's heart. Maybe a kiss wouldn't be too farfetched."

"How can an honest wish make something like this happen?" So asked.

"Even the cruelest of intentions can be honest to the desire of one's heart," Wook pointed out and So nodded.

"Well, we've got a prince who came from a faraway land just to save our queen."

The look on Baek Ah's face made So snort.

"I'm not kissing her, So."

"Maybe you should, Baek Ah."

"I think it's worth a shot," Soo added and Baek Ah didn't know if her earnestness was worse than So's suggestive eyebrow raise.

"Maybe we should all sleep and think of a better solution in the morning," Baek Ah said, voice cracking slightly in the middle of his sentence.

"I agree," Wook said with a smile. "There are plenty of rooms, you can choose whichever you prefer."

Wook chose a room at the end of the hall. Soo took the room the closest to the queen's and Baek Ah took the room beside hers. Up until he fell asleep, he could hear So and Soo talking and wondered if they could feel comfortable in the castle, in the place they should have known but which was not at all familiar. Their quiet chatter gave him comfort. Even if he didn't know them well, if they looked after each other like that, then he felt like he knew their hearts. He felt at ease.

 _Even the cruelest of intentions can be honest to the desire of one's heart._

Baek Ah slept a dreamless sleep and when he woke up, he wondered if that was how it was for Queen Woo Hee. Cold and disorienting. He wanted to wake her up.

When he got to the corridor, So was waiting outside Soo's room, wide-awake.

"Did you get any sleep?"

So's lopsided smile made him look younger.

"I got enough. Ready to wake our queen up and break the spell?"

"Not on an empty stomach, I'm not."

Soo walked out of her room after he spoke, stretching and yawning, and Wook smiled at them from his door.

"Let's get you energized then, Your Highness," So said, marching ahead and leading the group.

Baek Ah noticed Soo rubbing her eyes and matched her pace.

"Rough night?" He asked. Soo patted her cheeks.

"So and I spent a lot of time talking. I knew he wasn't going to feel safe in the castle and I didn't like the idea of him just standing outside my door all night."

Baek Ah looked between the two of them but decided to save the teasing for less tense times.

"He looks energetic for someone who stayed up all night."

"He's nervous." Stepping closer to Baek Ah, she whispered, "He doesn't trust Wook. He thinks it's weird that he remembers so much more than us."

Baek Ah nodded. "What about you? What do you think?"

She tilted her head to the side. "I don't know. It sounded like a good enough story, but I have a... feeling." She giggled. "Maybe So's paranoia is rubbing off on me. I should stop hanging out with him."

"You'll be more than welcome in Silla," Baek Ah offered in a louder voice, resting his arm on Soo's shoulders. "We make much better company. We have a great sense of humor and aesthetic."

So looked at them over his shoulder.

"Why do I have the feeling you're badmouthing me?"

"We would never, my friend," Baek Ah countered, making Soo giggle, So roll his eyes, and Wook chuckle behind them. Baek Ah felt a shiver run down his spine, almost having forgotten the man was leading the back of the group.

The atmosphere was light as they had breakfast, and the tea Soo prepared gave Baek Ah the courage he needed. The kitchen's supplies were almost gone after the year Wook spent in the palace, but soon it'd all be over. Baek Ah knew it as much as he felt it.

When he gazed at the queen under the morning light, his heart pounding against his ribcage and his entire being feeling warm, he took the leap. The faith his grandmother had in him, the hope in So, Soo and Wook's hearts, and that desire at the back of his consciousness, to do something for himself, to be something, to see her eyes open up to him and know that he did good in this world and that he gained an entire world in return; all of it converged into a single kiss, warm lips to warm lips, her breath touching his skin as she exhaled softly, his fingertips to hers, touches, promises. But when he backed away, her eyes remained closed. His heart fell from his chest to the bottom of his stomach.

The queen slept and the prince felt like a failure.

"Maybe... the timing isn't right?" Soo tried, but So and Wook looked solemn.

"There has to be something," Baek Ah whispered, more to himself than the others, wiping the lip tint off his lips.

"Don't beat yourself up too much, Your Highness. Only children's books speak of an all-healing kiss."

Wook walked to the queen's bedside and that's when Soo shouted,

"Stop!"

All eyes turned to her. She clasped her hands before her mouth, paling by the second.

"I... I don't know why I said that."

Baek Ah locked eyes with So. Soo, sweet, welcoming Soo would never shout unprompted.

 _Trust your instincts._

Something clicked in Baek Ah's mind.

"Only sorcerers know how to read spellbooks. How would you know only children's books speak of an all-healing kiss? How would you know the library doesn't have anything helpful?"

Wook turned his head towards Baek Ah, and for a second he had the same look Baek Ah saw on their very first meeting — the coldness, the darkness — and then it was gone, Wook was gone, jumping aside to dodge the slash of So's sword.

"And here I was, just waiting to see how far you would all get," Wook said, walking with his back straight, his chin held high, and a thin line on his lips.

 _The sorcerer is..._

"I wanted to know how unbreakable my spell was, you see, I had never used it before," he circled the room, adjusting the cuffs of his shirt, So never once looking away from him. "If Silla had no idea how to break it, then I could use it on their queen next. Make everyone forget faster."

Baek Ah felt the fear set itself in his bones. _Grandmother._

"You've been waiting all this time? For Baekje to... disappear?" So trembled, his jaw set in a firm lock, and Baek Ah could only guess how much self-control he was applying to his wrath.

"Baekje and, as its former residents wandered around, everyone that came in contact with them. If no one remembered their homes, then they wouldn't remember their rulers."

"All of this to take control of the people?" Soo asked and shivered when Wook looked at her.

"Go to Baek Ah, Soo," ordered So, still shielding her, but she didn't move.

"It was always you who meddled. The first time and now, Hae Soo." Wook's hands fell to his sides, and it was all the more threatening, to think of what he could do with them. "But it's useless."

"Now, Soo!"

The girl ran to Baek Ah, who still hovered above the queen, watching everything unfold, mind racing to comprehend everything and come up with something new. Something useful. Anything.

With a roar, So plunged himself at Wook. Baek Ah didn't even see the moment the sorcerer unsheathed his sword, only the clash and So being thrown back with a force that wasn't human.

 _Think, Baek Ah, think!_

Soo was holding his sleeve tightly with poorly contained tears and he tried to ignore her, tried to pay attention and tried to _think_ , all at once. So pulled himself to his feet but every attack was dodged, every swing, every graceful twirl, until a kick got Wook by surprise, blood trickling down his mouth and chin.

"You were supposed to forget." His voice was low but Baek Ah heard him clearly. "You were the first ones supposed to die."

He wiped the blood with the back of his hand and grabbed So by the neck.

"So!" Soo cried beside him.

 _Magic lies in the honesty of the wielder's heart._

So kicked and struggled. Beside Baek Ah, Soo moved in their direction but Baek Ah caught her just in time.

"Let me go! He's going to kill him!"

"Wait! Just wait!" Baek Ah told her and reached inside his robes. Soo watched as he grabbed his flute.

In a second, the room was filled with the notes of one the hymns of the kingdom of Baekje.

Wook halted, dropping So to the floor.

"A song?" With a frown, he started walking towards Baek Ah, who kept playing, who played as if their lives depended on it. It did.

So got up from the floor and held Wook from behind, by the neck, with all the strength he still had. Wook suddenly ran backwards and crushed So against the wall. The man coughed blood and fell, unmoving. Still Baek Ah played. Turning back towards the prince, Wook raised his hand but his magic caught only the self-sacrificing Soo, who was thrown across the room and knocked unconscious. The notes matched their falls, their breaths, and with tears in his eyes, Baek Ah played until there were no more notes left, until there was only silence again.

They waited.

Wook smiled.

"You thought you could revive a kingdom with song?"

The dagger cut through the air with a sharp sound. It landed on Wook's chest and for seconds he didn't comprehend it, he just looked at the red ribbon swishing around, the red of royalty. Queen Woo Hee, clad in a pristine white dress, slowly emerged through the veil of her bed, cheeks pink, lips red, and the boldest eyes Baek Ah had ever seen.

"You thought you could use my own dagger to curse me and get away with it?" Her voice was melodious and thundering; Baek Ah could only stare. "Think again, warlock. Now it's time for you to sleep."

Hwangbo Wook's hand faltered in her direction but he had no control of his movements, of his consciousness. He fell forward, the knife digging deeper into his flesh, and Baek Ah would never know if it was death or his own spell that took care of his life.

Queen Woo Hee looked at her fallen subjects and then finally at the prince. Baek Ah's instinct told him to lean back, away from her, to look away. His manners told him to fall on his knees and greet her properly.

"Your majesty," he stuttered. "My name is Kim Baek Ah, I—"

"You're from Silla," she said, her voice different without the death threat on her tongue. "Your melody... You learned it from Silla's queen, did you not? I could hear her in every note."

"Yes, I'm her youngest grandson."

"Your song was the first thing I've heard in a long, long time." He heard her footsteps, getting closer, but his forehead was still firm against the floor. "All this time, lying in the dark with the enemy hovering over me. Kim Baek Ah, look at me."

He did, and her smile disarmed him. At that moment, she was more powerful than Wook had ever been.

"Thank you. Now, would you help me get my dearest friends into a more comfortable position so you and I can talk?"

* * *

"I'm sorry Silla didn't do anything until now."

He told her of his mission, of his meeting with So and Soo, of everything until the moment she awoke. Walking together through the halls of the castle, the sun seemed brighter and more colorful then, beaming through the windows.

The queen shook her head.

"I wouldn't say that. I know the Silla Queen and I know she wouldn't just sit idly by, without hearing from us for so long."

"I thought so too, but—"

"Have a little more faith, Baek Ah. Faith got you this far, faith will take your heart home to your loved ones."

When she held her hands together behind her back, Baek Ah thought of how gracefully she poised herself, looking beautiful even in the simplest of garments. He looked away with a flush on his cheeks, sure he would be punished for the long minutes he spent gazing upon the Baekje Queen. Woo Hee just carried on, and when she blinked, it was slow and meaningful, words traveling without being spoken. Gratitude, curiosity, and things he dare not name, dare not conjecture.

"Home..." she breathed, her chest filling with sigh. "I wonder what will become of my people now. It's still mystifying to me that they would forget everything while I slept, even themselves."

"You're Baekje, Your Majesty. The spell only reflected outside what was on the inside: they couldn't think of a home without you in it."

"Because I'm the last member of the royal family?"

Baek Ah smiled and shook his head.

"You're the sun that rises in the morning and the moon that brightens the night. I know because I feel that way about my grandmother. They just... love you. I don't think So and Soo would have made it this far if not so."

The queen halted and looked up at him, at his eyes.

"Even if the moon is so fickle she changes with every passing day?"

He nodded.

"Especially if so. It's what makes you, _you,_ close instead of far away in the sky."

Her smile lit her eyes up, made them shine.

"You're great with words, Kim Baek Ah. Perhaps your grandmother sent you here to render me speechless."

"I wouldn't put it past her."

Baek Ah had to keep his hands clasped before him lest he allowed them to do what they wanted, to touch the dimples on her cheeks, to feel the silkiness of her hair. She was a queen and a grateful queen at that, it shouldn't be mistaken for something else, he felt too young, too controlled by his feelings. He ought to go back to Silla and tell his grandmother of his discoveries so they could help Baekje get back on its feet. So it could be a home again. Just not his.

While he fought his emotions, So suddenly appeared at the corner of the hallway, a frown in his brow. He ran over to them and upon locking eyes with the queen, he quickly started to fall to one knee but she held his arm before he completed the bow.

"You're far too weak for formalities, my dear Wang So. Now tell me, what worries you?"

"It's... Soo. I can't seem to find her anywhere."

Baek Ah and the queen exchanged glances.

"We left the two of you on the queen's bed. She's weak, she shouldn't have gone too far."

So did not calm down. With the man holding Baek Ah's arm, the prince was sure he was going to be scolded for letting Soo be harmed in the first place.

"You don't understand. I remember."

Baek Ah's eyes widened.

"You regained your memories?"

So nodded.

"And Soo's memories from before, they were tearing her apart."

So looked like he was losing his balance so Baek Ah held him by the shoulders.

"Calm down. Try and think. Where would she go? You seem to know her best."

It took a few moments until So and the queen spoke in unison,

"The astronomy tower."

Baek Ah helped So even if he felt too frantic to accept proper help. The three found Soo sitting on the balcony, crying softly, tiredly, body leaning against the railing. Beyond her figure, the sun had already begun to set, and it looked just like the paintings his grandmother used to make of Baekje, in every nuance and cloud, in orange and lavender.

So stepped forward and knelt before her, asking her something in a voice too low and intimate for Baek Ah to hear but which he could infer were concerned questions about her health, his hands holding her face away from the emptiness below, wiping her tears away. It brought her attention to the other two people in the room, and her eyes widened when she saw the queen.

"Your Majesty," she said in a broken voice, gently pulling So's hands down and bowing, resting her forehead against the dirty floor. "I'm deeply sorry. This is all my fault. None of this would have happened had I spoken earlier."

So opened his mouth to speak but he said nothing as the queen knelt down before her subject.

"Hae Soo, look at me."

The young woman did not.

"Please, my friend. Look at me. It's been so long since we last saw each other."

Slowly Soo let her head rise, her shoulders trembling with newfound tears. Queen Woo Hee lifted her chin and wiped her tears away with the back of her fingers.

"Did you forget we have no one but each other? Me, you, the Wang siblings. With our parents gone and my relatives trying to manipulate me, we formed a new family. We only have each other. What harm could you have ever done to me when all you brought me was the joy I thought I had forgotten?"

"Lady Woo Hee," Soo cried again, and with every word she spoke, So seemed to flinch.

"Hwangbo Wook tried to convince me to wage war multiple times, to expand our territory, at the expanse of my people. I should have known he would do something. You blame yourself for not advising me? Then I'd rather blame myself for being a fool."

"I knew he would do something, I could feel it," Soo cried, clenching her hands, but Woo Hee took hold of them.

"The fault of the wicked ones' deeds rest on nobody but the wicked ones themselves. He's made us suffer enough, Soo. He's the one thing we should forget now."

Baek Ah signaled So with his head and together they walked away, leaving the two women to do their reconciling.

"What happened to make Soo feel that way?" He asked once they were distant enough.

"The Queen was practicing her sword dance for the exorcism ritual when she hurt herself with one of her daggers. Soo saw it when she fell and Wook appeared to take her away. She'd had a bad feeling about Wook for a while but she never told the queen."

Baek Ah frowned.

"That doesn't make her guilty of anything, Wook was just a treacherous snake."

"It's different for us." He sighed and pushed his hair out of his eyes. "Lady Woo Hee's family adopted us from Goguryeo after the kingdom fell. They gave us a family name, a home and a purpose." So touched his scar. "Lady Woo Hee grew up with us, taught us everything she knew, helped us all she could. We have a debt to her we can never pay, so we try to do our best to protect her."

Baek Ah nodded, wanting nothing more than everyone to rest.

"So what happened to everyone after Woo Hee collapsed? And how come she still had the dagger?"

"She must have hid it after she realized what was happening. That's the kind of queen she is." Baek Ah thought pride looked good on So. "After fleeing from the scene, Soo went to find me and we hid in this tower. I needed to get her out of the castle since I wasn't confident I could overpower Wook. We never even slept. By the time we came out, everyone seemed different. They wandered around and didn't seem to notice each other or us. I walked to my brothers and they looked past me."

* * *

 _So knew she was tired but he was afraid that if they stopped in the middle of the woods, with no shelter over their heads, they'd be done for. And so he marched on, pulling her hand, the rain falling over them like a torrent, ready to take their bones away. His eyes hurt so much he could barely make out what were shadows and what were obstacles but soon he saw it, the shelter he knew would be there, their salvation._

 _Once there, he looked for blankets, anything that could warm them up, while Soo lighted candles with trembling hands, with neverstopping sobs. Together they sat down on one of the beds, down to their undergarments, holding onto each other and trying to find hope on a candle's flame. With her close to his side, the blanket over their shoulders, the exhaustion crept up to him, sneaking past his defenses, and he knew he was going to lose._

" _I don't want to forget," cried Soo, hugging her knees to her chest. He could feel her turning in his arms, her cold nose touched his cheek. "So, I don't want to forget you."_

" _We're not going to forget anything," he said, and he couldn't convince himself._

" _Even Ji Mong forgot, So, and he's the smartest man we ever met. I don't think it has anything to do with intelligence or will. What are we going to do? What are we going to do about Woo Hee?"_

 _He hugged her head close to his chest, feeling her arms circling his middle. He protected her once, got a scar for it, and he could protect her again, whatever it took._

 _They fell down on the bed, hearts beating in unison. From every crevice of the building came a mist, thick with magic and intent. He was comfortable and at peace with her in his arms and he could feel her shaking him but he couldn't open his eyes, he just saw a different image in his head, where they weren't afraid but happy. He felt her slipping away and held her tighter, he couldn't protect her if she was away, covering them both the best he could with the blanket, and then he was gone._

 _In the morning he woke up next to a woman he felt was important. Written on her hand was a half-remembered note, scribbled in the dark before oblivion took over them both._

* * *

Baek Ah smiled sadly.

"I bet you haven't had a good night of sleep since."

It was the first time he saw So laugh.

"No, I haven't. I felt there was always something or someone watching us."

Baek Ah patted him on the shoulder.

"I'll watch over you tonight so you two may finally rest." The young prince's confidence fell. "I'm sorry if I wasn't good at protecting Soo before—"

"Baek Ah."

The prince of Silla looked up at Wang So.

"Thank you. For everything. For being you."

Baek Ah knew the feeling of his own heart swelling with pride then.

* * *

His grandmother was her happiest when he went home. There were celebrations for his safe return and plans to help Baekje were quickly set into motion. Baek Ah felt ashamed of himself when his grandmother told him of all the men she sent to Baekje before him, once all she heard from the kingdom was silence.

"Some of them met your friends and were rudely sent on their way." She let out a hearty laugh. "Spirituous, the two of them. I knew you'd get along well."

Her face took a somber look when she spoke of the men who never returned. Baek Ah knew Wook must have disposed of them.

"Why didn't you tell me about all of this before, grandma?"

"I knew it'd take more than strength to rescue the queen, but I also knew you needed courage to get there. It was only through the combined efforts of your wills that you'd succeed, so I left you to do what you did best: be true to yourself."

Baek Ah smiled.

"You're the second person to say that to me."

"My, I would have expected to be the first!"

They walked together but then, when he looked at Silla, the home he knew his whole life, Baek Ah caught himself thinking of another place. Could a person have two homes?

"Grandmother."

"Yes, son?"

"Can I... help Baekje, too?"

The old Queen of Silla chuckled.

"Woo Hee got you good, didn't she?"

"That's not what I meant."

"I'll be expecting at least one great-granddaughter, you hear? With your combined looks, she'll be the most precious flower."

"Grandma!"

* * *

In the year it took for Baekje to regain its residents and prosperity, Baek Ah saw a city grow from ruins, sprouts of life bursting through stone, blossoming right before his eyes. He learned people followed Woo Hee without question, and would follow her even if she asked them not to. He learned she worked as hard as her subjects, talking and walking with Soo as if they were equals. He learned many things but none were as astounding as her dance that day, the ritual she finally completed, the promise to her people that everything would be as it once were — no, better. It would be better. He thought he was going crazy but he felt she kept her eyes on him the whole time, the fabric of her robe waving like she was underwater, every move calculated, perfected, beautiful.

He played on that day as well, many different instruments, many different songs, to all the people of Baekje. Children seemed to be the same everywhere he went — eager to listen to songs and dance to the silliest tunes, shouting his name with familiarity, pulling at his hair. Baek Ah played to them and he played to _her_ , he always found her eyes in the crowd, a twinkle of her jewelry, her laugh.

"So when is the royal marriage taking place? Do Soo and I get to dress up?"

The captain of the queen's personal guard looked up at him with a lopsided smirk.

"You keep that up and I'm not playing at _your_ wedding."

"Soo will be terribly disappointed and you don't want to disappoint her, do you? She can get violent."

"You sound like you speak from experience."

"I do. I think half my scars are from her."

"You two are disgusting and I'm leaving."

"What did we do this time?"

Soo hopped to them, wearing the beautiful garments of the queen's personal adviser.

"Nothing, Baek Ah is just jealous he hasn't kissed Woo Hee yet."

"And we have no idea why, right?"

"Right."

Watching the two kiss each other briefly before beaming up at him made Baek Ah question his taste in best friends. Soo ran up to him and circled her arm with his, So coming to the other side of him. He had a bad feeling about everything.

"Did you know couples who kiss on the day of the exorcism ritual stay together forever?" Soo sing-sang.

"I'm pretty sure you made that up."

"Are you calling my bride a liar, prince Kim Baek Ah?"

"All I'm saying is that you're ganging up on me."

"You're a very ungrateful friend. We're just wishing you good luck."

The two stopped and walked away suddenly, and Baek Ah would have called to them had he not noticed Woo Hee glowing under the lights of the festival. She watched the lanterns fly away into the night sky and Baek Ah thought nothing he could ever paint in his life would look as beautiful as her. Noticing him, she smiled broadly, showing off her white teeth, and ran up to him, taking hold of his hand.

"So what do you think of Baekje's festival? As good as Silla's?"

"The company makes the festival."

She intertwined their fingers and looked back at the night sky.

"Did you wish for anything tonight, Baek Ah?"

Baek Ah was surprised to realize he hadn't. He had found a family outside the walls of Silla, a purpose, and his own heart.

"I feel like all my wishes have come true."

The sky was a velvety purple, the only place with that hue, the only place with her. Baekje lived and breathed with Woo Hee, and she painted it all with the brightest colors, with her precious hands.

"All of them?"

Woo Hee seemed amused.

"What about you?" He asked. "Do you have any wish?"

She placed her head against his chest, listening to his heartbeat, certainly not missing the moment it started to go off rhythm.

"I wish you'd play your music for me for the rest of our lives."

She touched her chin to his chest, peering up at him.

"What do you say?"

Her hair was as good to the touch as he had always dreamed it was.

"It'd be my pleasure, my queen."

He kissed her and he felt he had waited an eternity for her to respond, enjoying the curve of her lips, the way she fit into his arms, her own arms holding him tightly, discovering, then, a world of sensations only Woo Hee would ever make him feel. Especially the way she looked at him when they parted, half-lidded eyes, her tongue discreetly tracing her lips, and a smile that made him want to kiss her again.

"Why do I feel this is not our first kiss?"

How quickly spells could be broken.

"Soo told you, didn't she?"

She giggled and he groaned, not feeling at all embarrassed, not regretting for one minute the kiss he gave her that day, believing it was a promise to the best present of his life:

True love.


	2. A Soft Epilogue

"Did you ever think we'd end up here?"

"Hmm?"

Soo stretched her legs, touching the tip of her shoes together. So, sitting beside her, turned his gaze away from the happy crowd to look at her. Somewhere not far from them, Baek Ah and the Queen of Baekje shared their first kiss.

"Baekje. Did you ever think we'd call it home?"

So lifted his gaze to the lanterns, flying and shining in the night sky.

"I didn't even know if we'd survive. The fact that we're here at all is a triumph."

Soo turned to him, tracing his scar with her eyes. A mark of war, of their survival after Goguryeo. The servants who survived their king. A proof of their bond, their destinies intertwined in blood and tears. It never felt heavy to look at it. Her chest was light in Baekje, in the protection Woo Hee granted them. It was hard to think of it as a burden with those eyes accompanying it, his eyes in speckles of sincerity and welcoming warmth. They had known each other since they were children and she was happy to remember. Ever happier still.

"There were times," she began, trailing off, just observing the people passing by. She started again. "There were times, in the forest, when I thought we might never see people again. That somehow the world would end and we'd never see anybody or anything again. There'd only be us and the silent, undead forest."

She knew what he was thinking without him ever uttering words. The slow blinking of his eyes, his head hanging low, and his hand taking her hand, both of his hands taking hers, a subtle embrace amongst the crowd. The smiles he always gave her on those peaceful days were not there at that moment. She knew. She knew he must have thought it too and the helplessness was too much to speak of.

"And then came the idiot."

The air left her in delighted giggles. Said idiot was playing with So's adoptive brothers and it was no surprise to them that he got along with Jung and Eun so well, a merry song accompanied by ridiculous dances, Eun's laughter, so thoroughly missed the very moment they heard it again, echoing in the night.

"Still," said Soo, intertwining their fingers. "As bad as it was, didn't you feel like it was kind of our world?"

Her cheeks were hot but her middle was cold. It was lonely, such a lonely thought. Bittersweet. She could feel it on her tongue.

"To wake up and wander the woods with nothing but hope, but we rejected everyone until Baek Ah showed up. They couldn't do it, and we didn't want them to because it had to be us. But we never made it past the gate so we wandered and wandered and I knew that forest like the back of my hand, just like I knew your every whim and favorite things."

She didn't notice she was trembling until she felt him hold her hands tighter. He leaned forward, tucking her bangs behind her ears, their eyes meeting with ease.

"Are you scared, Soo?"

She nodded and he hid her from the world, hid her weaknesses and insecurities against his chest and heart, in his embrace.

"Can I really be what Lady Woo Hee expects me to be? Will I really know what's best for Baekje?"

The festival music was cheerful but all she heard then were his breathing, his heartbeats. Steady, always steady when it needed to be.

"It isn't like you to overthink, Soo. _Trust your instincts,_ remember?"

She inhaled profoundly in memory, the part of her life that she liked best, even in their worst moments. She didn't have anyone to disappoint then. Couldn't hurt anyone, always safe in his presence. The world might as well have ended and it was scary but she wasn't alone. She still wasn't alone, she was going to marry him, but there were so many people now. Crowds, terrifying, overwhelming crowds. Woo Hee and her court. One mistake and...

"Do you want to leave?"

His whisper was perfectly audible against her ear. She backed away to read his thoughts in his eyes.

"To Silla?"

He nodded.

"Baek Ah would be glad and I doubt Lady Woo Hee would oppose. We've done our share of duty, Baekje can flourish without us."

"But you want to be here."

How selfish and fragile could she be, and how fragile and willing could he be still, touching her softly as one would a flower?

"I want to be with you."

Baek Ah's heart would probably race like hers if he heard. The keeper of the forest, captain of the palace guard, sworn enemy of sorcerers, laying himself at her feet. So much, she had so much, and he was so much and she couldn't always be strong but she didn't fall apart in his arms. She felt silly. She smiled.

"Do you remember?" She wrapped her arms around his middle, his chest a warm pillow. "When Woo Hee taught us how to dance when we were younger?"

"You mean when she tried to teach you how to dance and you failed for a frustrating amount of days."

She could hear and feel his chuckles. She didn't feel teased, not then.

"And you learned so well because it was a lot like learning new swordsmanship."

"I'm not that good at it."

"You are." She propped her chin on his chest and she liked the angle, he was all that she could see, his hair framing his face. "Our wedding dance is going to be so beautiful, I hope Baek Ah can paint it."

"He can. There are no arts our Baek Ah hasn't mastered."

Her eyes were thin half-moons, all of their light illuminating her, making him kiss her, a kiss promised before the sorcerer cast his spell, a kiss that bubbled in her chest in her forest. Time; time was eternal, like the flowers that were always in full-bloom, she'd fall in love with him time and time again.

"I don't want to leave," she said after, giving a sheepish smile. "I'm sorry. I don't know why I felt melancholy all of a sudden."

"You don't have to be strong all the time," So said — echoed, adjusting the strands of her hair that had fallen out of place. "Don't worry, Baek Ah doesn't have to know that. If we don't have an intimidating leverage, he might just be too much to bear."

She giggled, both at his attempt to cheer her up and at his comfort, recalling all the times he fell apart in their little haven in the woods, scared and frustrated and sad, it was so sad not to remember, she knew it all.

"Can we still visit Silla, though? I really want to see it. I hear it's so lively."

He nodded, he and Soo looking at the other two, their Queen and her prince, a constellation in the distance.

"Why not? It's going to be our second home."

Soo felt big with contentment at his words. With her love, her friends and two places to call home, she felt like the luckiest girl in the world. She felt that everything could work out, even despite one's mistakes.

Adviser Hae Soo felt strong in New Baekje.


End file.
